Department for Transport

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls

lord lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sugg on 11 March (HL14007), what investigations they make into the reasons why the Dart Charge payment has not been made when communicating with those who have defaulted onsuch a payment; and what options they are considering to improve compliance with the payment of that charge.

baroness sugg: Highways England is able to consider reasons for non-compliance when customers opt to challenge their Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) through the relevant representations process. Highways England considers the reasons presented on a case by case basis. If the representation is rejected, the customer may appeal that decision through the Traffic Penalty Tribunal.The current compliance rate is 95 per cent, demonstrating that the vast majority of customers are using the scheme successfully. Highways England undertakes a variety of measures to enable and encourage compliance, providing a range of payment options, including pre-pay accounts; allowing for payment up to midnight the day after a crossing is made; and allowing an additional 14 days for payment for first time offences. In addition, it also has a comprehensive signage strategy which includes the use of advance directional signs, variable message signs and safety signs. This is reinforced by public communications campaigns to inform drivers, both in the UK and overseas, about the payment arrangements and the road layout.

A14: Road Signs and Markings

lord naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Highways Agency is considering the removal of the signs on the A14 to the Naseby battlefield site.

baroness sugg: Highways England has advised that it will not be removing the tourist signs (brown signs) for the Naseby battlefield site on the A14. Highways England had previously advised that these tourist signs would be removed as part of future planned works on the A14, a decision that was driven by the standards relating to tourist signs on the strategic road network. Highways England reviewed its decision because it appreciates the significance of the site, and the signs on the A14 will remain in place.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Citizens' Advice Bureaux: Closures

lord hain: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Citizens Advice Bureaux have closed in England since 2010.

lord henley: Now referred to as Local Citizens Advice, there have been 7 closures since 2010.

Employment: Equality

baroness mcgregor-smith: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the introduction of quotas for executive women in the workplace and for all BAME employees.

lord henley: The Government is committed to working with the business community to create more inclusive workplaces from the shop floor to the boardroom. The Government commissioned and supports several business-led independent reviews, such as the Hampton-Alexander Review to increase the representation of women on boards and senior leadership positions in FTSE 350 companies to 33% by 2020 and the Parker Review to increase the ethnic diversity of FTSE 350 boards by 2024.These reviews form part of the Government’s modern Industrial Strategy which aims to build an economy that works for all.This business-led approach is working, with, for example, the representation of women on FTSE 100 boards rising to 30.9% from 12.5% in 2011.Government agreed with my Noble friend’s recommendation that companies should set and publish aspirational diversity targets; and committed to lead from the front in the public sector. In June 2018 we published targets for the Civil Service to tackle the under-representation of ethnic minority staff in our most senior roles. If successful, we will approximately double the current proportion of new recruits from an ethnic minority to 13.2% by 2025.

Consumer Goods: Electrical Safety

lord shipley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of legislation governing the sale of recalled electrical products; and whether they have any plans to introduce legislation covering the sale of such products.

lord henley: The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 places duties on manufacturers, importers and distributors of electrical equipment to ensure that where a safety issue is identified, appropriate action is taken to withdraw, recall or otherwise bring the equipment into conformity. Distributors, including retailers of second-hand goods, also have a duty to act with care to ensure that any products they sell meet the legal safety requirements. There are no plans to introduce any further legislation. The Office for Product Safety and Standards operates an incident management procedure for managing consumer product safety incidents, to deliver on its wider purpose of protecting consumers and building public confidence in the product safety system. It also makes available information on recalled electrical products through its dedicated product recall website.

International Financial Reporting Standards Endorsement Board

lord hodgson of astley abbotts: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the members of the UK International Financial Reporting Standards Endorsement Board will be announced.

lord henley: The UK Endorsement Board for international accounting standards is currently being established. It will consist of between 11 and 13 Board members plus the Chair. The Chair will be appointed by my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State, following the public appointments process, while the remaining Board members will be appointed by the Chair from a short list provided by the FRC Nominations Committee. The Committee will be required to follow the recommendations on diversity made in the Independent Review of the FRC and the Secretary of State will retain a veto over any of the appointments. All posts will follow an open and transparent recruitment process. Preliminary work for appointing the Chair and Board members has begun. We expect a Chair to be in place by the end of 2019, with an announcement shortly before. The remaining Board members are expected to be announced in early 2020.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Middle East: Islamic State

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they, and the United Kingdom's allies, plan to prevent ISIS establishing sleeper cells in Syria and Iraq.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We remain strongly committed to the Global Coalition and its objective of ensuring Daesh's enduring defeat. We are in close contact with our allies and partners regarding the next steps in the campaign against Daesh in Syria.We are working with the Government of Iraq and Kurdistan Regional Government to prevent Daesh resurgence and stabilise areas which have been liberated from Daesh. In addition to continued support and training to the Iraqi security forces, the UK has committed £103 million to help stabilise areas liberated from Daesh, rehabilitate critical infrastructure, deliver basic services like water and electricity, rebuild livelihoods, and support community reconciliation.

Syria: Islamic State

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proposals they have for dealing with ISIS prisoners held by Democratic Forces in North-East Syria with their associated women and children; and whether they intend to propose that those prisoners be subject to a war crimes tribunalat the International Criminal Court.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We are in ongoing discussions with our partners concerning the future of Daesh members detained by the Syrian Defence Forces in north east Syria, as well as their families. The UK is committed to ensuring that those responsible for any war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity alleged to have taken place in Syria, including members of Daesh, are brought to justice in accordance with due legal process. We are providing diplomatic and financial support to the UN Impartial Independent Investigative Mechanism to gather evidence and prepare legal cases.

Syria: Internally Displaced People

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will call for the provision of independent international monitors in Idlib Province in Syria, in order to (1) protect the displaced Syrians living there, (2) prevent massacres and further displacements, and (3) oversee the provision of humanitarian aid and materials for reconstruction.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We are closely monitoring the situation in Idlib. We do not intend to call for the provision of independent international monitors given the risks of operating in Syria. Our focus remains on supporting the Government of Turkey's efforts to prevent a reckless military offensive by the Syrian regime. We call on Russia and Iran, as Astana Guarantors alongside Turkey, to ensure that this ceasefire is fully respected. We also call on all parties to work with UN agencies and others to ensure that the acute humanitarian needs of civilians in and around Idlib are fully addressed.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel about the reported treatment of a blind, disabled and unarmed Palestinian during a night raid by Israeli forces in February.

baroness goldie: We have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities. While we recognise Israel's legitimate need to deploy security measures, we encourage them to deploy these in a way which minimises tension and to use appropriate force. In instances where there have been accusations of excessive use of force, we have advocated swift, transparent investigations.

Jerusalem: Israeli Settlements

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel about the excavation of tunnels by Israeli settlers in East Jerusalem causing structural damage to Palestinian homes above.

baroness goldie: We are concerned by the reports of excavations by Israeli settlers in East Jerusalem and the impact it has on Palestinian homes. We condemn the destruction of Palestinian property and have called on the Israeli authorities to cease such activity.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 6 March (HL14021), what action they intend to take ensure that the Palestinian population is protected in compliance with international law.

baroness goldie: It has long been the Government's view that Israel's presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is governed by the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, to which Israel is a state party. We repeatedly call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation, including settlements and the treatment of Palestinian children in military custody.

Israel: Arms Trade

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps theyare taking to ensure that parts and components sold to the Israeli military are not used in weaponry that targets civilian populations within the occupied territories.

baroness goldie: The British Government takes its defence exports responsibilities extremely seriously and operates some of the most robust export controls in the world. We only approve equipment which is for Israel's legitimate self-defence, when we are satisfied that this would be consistent with the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria and other relevant commitments. All applications for export licences are assessed on a case-by-case basis against strict criteria. We will not issue a licence if there is a clear risk that the equipment might be used for internal repression, or if there is a clear risk that it would provoke or prolong conflict. We continue to monitor closely the situation in Israel and Gaza, and if extant licences are found to be no longer consistent with the Criteria, those licences will be revoked.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they intend to make to the government of Israel followingreports that two Palestinian children died as a result of a fire on 5 March where Israeli forces delayed a Palestinian fire engine from reaching the scene.

baroness goldie: While we have not made any representations on this specific matter, we continue to stress to Israel the importance we attach to protection of civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We remain deeply concerned about restrictions on freedom of movement within the West Bank. Through our Embassy in Tel Aviv we have lobbied the Israeli authorities on the issue and we continue to work closely with EU partners to call on Israel to ease restrictions on access.

Human Rights

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure human rights standards are upheld in all post-Brexit international agreements; and what steps they are taking to ensure the UK meets its international obligations on human rights after Brexit.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The Government is committed to fulfilling its obligations as reflected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and set out in international human rights treaties to which the UK is a party. The UK has a longstanding tradition of protecting and promoting human rights. Leaving the European Union will not change thisThe Government is in the process of responding to the 17th Report of the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR), examining 'Human Rights Protections in International Agreements'. The UK protects and promotes human rights in accordance with the subject-matter and context of each international agreement, taking a balanced and proportionate approach.

Jerusalem: Religious Buildings

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the (1) current situation in regard to Jerusalem’s Holy Esplanade, following the Islamic Waqf Council’s refusal to shut down the Bab al-Rahma building in response to the ultimatum by the Israeli authorities, and (2) impact this is having on relations between Israel and Jordan and the Jordan–Israel Peace Treaty.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We continue to encourage Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan to do all they can to work together to continue to uphold the status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem. We are committed to working with all parties to maintain calm, and avoid provocation to ensure the safety and the security of the Al Haram Al Sharif/Temple Mount compound and all who worship there. We value Jordan's important role as custodian of the holy sites in Jerusalem.

Yemen: Peace Negotiations

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progressthey have made as a result of the meeting of the Yemen Quad, co-hosted by the Foreign Secretary in Warsaw on 13 February, to bring an end to the Yemen crisis and to identify further measures to alleviate the humanitarian suffering of the Yemeni people.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Since the meeting of the Yemen Quad, the Foreign Secretary travelled to the region on 1-4 March 2019 in a display of the UK’s support for efforts to secure peace. He further discussed the political and humanitarian situation with governments in Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Muscat and Aden as part of a sustained UK diplomatic campaign to support the UN-led peace process. Visiting Aden on 3 March, he was the first Foreign Minister to visit Yemen since the conflict began.

Yemen: Ports

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement by the Houthi rebel spokesman Mohammed Abdel Salam that the Foreign Secretary was incorrect to state during his visit to Yemen on 3 March that the port city of Hodeidah was supposed to be "cleared of militia and left under neutral control by the beginning of January" and that this misrepresents what was agreed under the terms of the 13 December 2018 Stockholm Agreement.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Agreement between the Government of Yemen and the Houthis states clearly that a mutual redeployment of forces, which includes Houthi militia, shall be carried out from the city of Hodeidah and the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa to agreed upon locations outside the city and ports within a maximum of 21 days after the ceasefire entered into force in December. The Agreement also states that security of the city of Hodeidah and the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa shall be the responsibility of local security forces in accordance with Yemeni law. Unfortunately, the parties have still not implemented this Agreement and not yet reached an agreement in accordance with national law on the composition of the local security forces and their operational neutrality. It is critical that we all continue to support UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths and the UN-led peace process. There can be no return to major military operations in Hodeidah: any renewed military push would be catastrophic for Yemen, potentially pushing millions towards famine.

Nuclear Weapons: Proliferation

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure that the global accords internationally agreed to prevent nuclear proliferation are reinforced and upheld.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The British Government is committed to the long-term goal of a world without nuclear weapons and to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as the cornerstone of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. We attach great importance to the implementation of International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards and we believe that the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement (CSA) and the Additional Protocol (AP) together represent the current verification standard. We urge all States parties that have not yet done so to bring into force both a CSA and an AP as soon as possible. We regard the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action as a crucial agreement that makes the world a safer place by neutralising the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran. We continue to promote the universalisation of the NPT, the early entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and the commencement of negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty in the Conference on Disarmament.

China: Prosperity Fund

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 7 March (HL14072), how much money from the UK Cross-Government Prosperity Fund was used to develop the film industry and improve museum infrastructure in China in each year since that fund's conception.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: My earlier answer to the noble Lady refers. In 2016-17, the cross-government Prosperity Fund provided £188,000 to fund three one-year pilot projects focused on capacity building and UK-China collaboration in the TV and film industry; and £210,000 for two projects focused on China’s museums sector. These are areas of large market potential that support China’s continued transition to a sustainable, inclusive and productive economy and where UK expertise is well placed to provide support and derive future, secondary benefits. The UK no longer provides any funding to the creative or cultural industries in China through the Prosperity Fund, but has used the lessons from these pilot programmes to inform future programme design.​

Yemen: Peace Negotiations

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they spent funding (1) local peace actors, (2) aid partners, and (3) others involved in promoting a path to peace in the Yemen conflict.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: On 24 February, the Prime Minister announced that the UK would be providing £200 million of funding for the 2019/20 financial year in response to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. The UK is supporting Yemen through £6.6 million of funding from CSSF Fund this year. This funding will support different programmes, including bolstering the UN’s capacity to facilitate the peace process, working with groups formally outside the formal peace process and establishing long-lasting conflict resolution mechanisms in Yemeni communities.

Yemen: Peace Negotiations

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the visit to Aden by the Foreign Secretary, whether they have had any further discussion with the UN’s Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen and other local powers about finding a sustainable peace in that country; and if so, what agreements have been reached between the UK and others.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We work closely with our partners in the UN, including the Group of Eminent Experts, whose work underlines the deeply concerning human rights situation and the importance of reaching a political solution to the Yemeni conflict. All parties must work with the UN to implement agreements made in Stockholm.​

Attorney General

Obscenity: Prosecutions

baroness howe of idlicote: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the (1) Director of Public Prosecutions, and (2) Crown Prosecution Service, on whether an imported child sex doll falls within the definition of an obscene article under the Customs Consolidation Act 1876.

lord keen of elie: The Crown Prosecution Service has prosecuted the importation of child sex dolls under the provisions of the Customs Consolidation Act 1876, in conjunction with the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, where there is sufficient evidence to do so and a prosecution is required in the public interest. The CPS intends to issue guidance to assist prosecutors considering such allegations shortly.

Department of Health and Social Care

Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group

lord blunkett: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the review of the Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), what plans they have to (1) ensure the protection of whistleblowers, (2) take action to restore confidence in the operation of that CCG, and (3) refresh that CCG's decision-making structure.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: NHS England commissioned an independent assessment of the Clinical Commissioning Group’s (CCG) leadership and culture as part of their role as the CCG’s regulator. The independent assessor did not uncover any issues on whistleblowing therefore the report does not make recommendations on their approach to whistleblowing. However, NHS England are always keen to learn and improve how we listen and respond to staff.Sheffield CCG takes all concerns raised by staff very seriously and invites anyone who has concerns to raise them under its Freedom to Speak Up: Raising Concerns (Whistleblowing) Policy and/or Dignity at work (prevention of bullying and harassment) policy. The CCG encourages staff to speak up and is committed to dealing with them responsibly and professionally.NHS England will be developing an improvement plan, with input from staff and partners, to systematically address all the issues in the report.

Care Homes: Closures

lord hain: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many care homes have closed in England since 2010.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: This data is not held in the format requested.

Hernias: Surgical Mesh Implants

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will expand the scope of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review to include matters relating to hernia mesh operations.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review was set up to examine whether the processes pursued when safety concerns were raised by patients, their families, and others were sufficient in relation to primodos, sodium valproate and vaginal mesh.The Review is independent of Government and its Terms of Reference and ongoing scope are a matter for Baroness Cumberlege as Chair of the Review. The Department expects that the conclusions of the Review will contain lessons for organisations across the health system.

Hernias: Surgical Mesh Implants

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will ask the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to produce guidance on hernia mesh operations which covers all the types of hernia that are treated by surgeons.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Department has no current plans to ask the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to produce guidance on this topic. However, NHS England is now the lead commissioner of NICE clinical guidelines, and would be responsible for deciding whether this is a priority for NICE guidance.NICE has published guidance on laparoscopic surgery for inguinal hernia repair, which makes reference to open mesh operations. NICE has also published a MedTech Innovation briefing on the PolySoft hernia patch used with the ONSTEP technique to treat inguinal hernias.

Hernias: Surgical Mesh Implants

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of NHS Digital statistics on the number of patients adversely affected by hernia mesh operations.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: NHS Digital does not hold statistics on the number of patients adversely affected by hernia mesh operations.

Hernias: Surgical Mesh Implants

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will commission research on the number of patients who have been adversely affected by hernia mesh operations.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to establishing a national registry of patients who have received mesh hernia repair treatments.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: In February 2018, the Government announced the establishment of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety (IMMDS) Review, led by Baroness Cumberlege. The Review is evaluating what happened in each of the cases of primodos, sodium valproate and surgical mesh, including whether the processes pursued to date have been sufficient and satisfactory. The Review will make recommendations for future change to the United Kingdom healthcare system which the Government will consider in full.At this time, there is no specific intention to develop a separate national registry of patients who have received mesh hernia repair treatments. The Government remains committed to driving system and regulatory change where required in the interests of patient safety. Recent Parliamentary debates have considered the scope of the IMMDS Review and the wider issues of safety and innovation within medical devices regulation and their use.The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including hernia repair; it is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions.The Government is committed to making additional improvements to the system of medical device regulation including in response to the IMMDS Safety Review once it has reported.

Hernias: Surgery

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assurances they have received that surgeons in England continue to maintain their skills in non-mesh hernia repair treatments.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Hernias are some of the most common operations carried out in the National Health Service. Consultant general surgeons are fully trained to perform these operations and are expected to follow National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance when discussing appropriate procedures for individual patients. Surgeons are expected to maintain their skills and to review the outcomes of their treatments to confirm their competence.

Gender Recognition: Children

lord lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Blackwood of North Oxford on 11 March (HL14006),for how long the Longitudinal Outcomes of Gender Identity in Children study will continue to accept new cases; whether the study has been funded to enable it to include all eligible children; if not, how many such children are expected to be (1) included, and(2) not included; and how the choice will be made.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The study will start in June 2019 and aims to recruit all 638 eligible children and young people over 18 months. Should the study fail to meet recruitment targets, the possibility of extending this period beyond six months will be reviewed.In order for children and young people to take part in the study they must be aged 3-13 years at the time of referral to the United Kingdom’s Gender Identity Development Service, have parental consent, have English language comprehension and live in the UK.

Dermatology: Recruitment

baroness masham of ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve the recruitment of dermatologists in England.

baroness masham of ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of (1) the availability of consultant dermatologists, and (2) waiting times for dermatology outpatient services in Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The number of medical specialty training places that are available each year is set by Health Education England (HEE) and based on their assessment of service gaps and predicted workforce needs.Dermatology is a highly competitive specialty training pathway and often oversubscribed. Nationally and locally there has been a 100% fill rate in dermatology training for the past four years.It is the responsibility of individual National Health Service trusts to have staffing arrangements in place that deliver safe and effective care. This includes recruiting the staff needed to support these levels and meet local needs.There has been a 22% increase in full time equivalent (FTE) dermatologists (doctors at the consultant grade) in post since September 2010, with 1,049 FTE dermatologists working in the NHS in November 2018. Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust is fully recruited for dermatology consultants. In addition, the Trust is currently recruiting for an extra dermatologist post to add extra treatment capacity.In December 2018, performance for dermatology referral-to treatment waiting times at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, for patients on an incomplete pathway, was 97.9%. This is 10.1 percentage points higher than the national performance for dermatology, which was 87.8%.

Dermatology

baroness masham of ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many patients with (1) suspected skin cancer, (2) psoriasis, and (3) atopic dermatitis were (a) referred by a GP, and (b) seen by a consultant dermatologist in England during the last 12 months.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: This information is not available in the format requested.

Department for International Development

Tunisia: Overseas Aid

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the security, economic and educational situation in Tunisia; and how the UK foreign aid budget together with the Prosperity Fund can further assist that country.

lord bates: Tunisia’s security, economy and education sector are priority areas of co-operation for the UK. The Tunisian economy is growing, although this growth remains fragile and the country needs further support to ensure economic benefits reach all Tunisians. Levels of educational attainment have increased over recent years, but there remains a mismatch between skills and the needs of the private sector which the UK is working to help address. Security in Tunisia has markedly improved since the terrorist attacks of 2015: in particular, the ability of Tunisian authorities to mitigate the threat from terrorism, and to better protect foreign visitors has improved. We are working directly and through development partners to help Tunisia deal with security threats and to address long-term challenges like youth unemployment. Bilateral spend is mainly channelled through the North Africa Good Governance Fund, with up to £14m allocated for Tunisia in 2019/20 to support economic development, education, and marginalised regions. In 2017, the last year for which figures are available, the UK’s share of multilateral organisations’ total spend in Tunisia was over £30m. The Prosperity Fund does not currently have any projects in Tunisia.

Pakistan: Public Sector

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Pakistan Annual Statistical Bulletin of Federal Government Employees 2017–18, published by the government of Pakistan on 26 February, what assessment they have made of (1) the number of people employed from that country’s religious minorities, (2) the nature of the occupations open to them, and (3) the numbers working in either menial jobs or senior management grades; and what assessment they have made of the impactthat UKaid programmes have had on those statistics.

lord bates: We have not conducted an assessment of the composition of federal government employees as reported in the Annual Statistical Bulletin of Federal Government Employees 2017–18. However, DFID and the FCO continue to raise the issue of human rights of minorities at the highest levels of government, including in our annual Bilateral Assistance Talks. We advocate greater tolerance and action against abuses when they occur. DFID Pakistan’s Skills Development Programme will provide 330,000 poor and vulnerable people, including those from minority communities, with technical and vocational training to improve their employment prospects. Our aid relationship with any government is based on an assessment of its commitment to our Partnership Principles, including to promote and safeguard human rights. Our aid targets the poor, regardless of race, religion, social background or nationality. Our portfolio of programmes contributes either directly or indirectly to the protection of minority rights by strengthening systems for delivery of services and by adopting a ‘do no harm’ approach.

Israel: Gaza

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment has been made of (1) the contamination by heavy metal weapon remnants in Gaza, following the attacks by Israel in 2012 and 2014, and (2) the impact of that contamination on prevalence of pre term infants, low birth weight and birth defects in Gaza since 2011.

lord bates: The Government has not made its own assessment of this specific issue. We continue to engage closely with the World Health Organisation, UN OCHA, and other health and humanitarian based NGOs working in Gaza to ensure we are able to comprehensively monitor health and humanitarian needs there. To help ensure hospitals in Gaza can continue to provide essential services on a range of health issues, we provided £1.5 million for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) OPTs Appeal in 2018. This funding has helped treat patients in 11 hospitals which are under extreme pressure in Gaza by restocking vital medical supplies including medicines, surgical equipment, and bandages and helping provide physical rehabilitation services for around 4,000 people.

Overseas Aid

baroness brady: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures are in place to test the effectiveness of aid spending through the UK Official Development Assistance budget.

lord bates: UK ODA is scrutinised by the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI), which focuses on the delivery of value for money and maximising the impact and effectiveness of UK aid. ICAI reports directly to Parliament through the International Development Committee (IDC) ensuring both independence and accountability of the ODA. The National Audit Office also scrutinises departmental spending including the effectiveness of ODA spending. As part of DFID’s programme approval process, an accredited Evaluation Advisor reviews the evaluation plan for the ongoing effectiveness of the programme. DFID reviews all programmes annually, providing an assessment of performance, ongoing relevance, value for money, lessons learned, and any remedial action required. Individual government departments are responsible for design, evaluation and governance of their Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) budget. However, DFID makes available some relevant evaluation tools to support other departments.

World Bank: Public Appointments

lord hodgson of astley abbotts: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to press for the publication of the names of candidates short listed for the post of President of the World Bank in advance of an appointment being made.

lord bates: Nominations for President of the World Bank closed on 14 March and a single candidate was formally nominated: David Malpass, Under Secretary for International Affairs, US Treasury. This information was published in a press release from the World Bank on 14 March.

Iraq: Yazidis

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to (1) establish what has happened to the estimated 3,000 missing Yazidis displaced by IS, and (2) to help the Yazidi population, in particularly Yazidi women and children, to rebuild their communities.

lord bates: The UK is committed to supporting women and girls who have been victims of sexual violence and that those responsible are brought to justice. We are pushing for justice and accountability for all victims of Daesh. This includes leadership in ensuring the UNSC unanimously adopted Resolution 2379 on Daesh Accountability, and contributing £1m to support the establishment of a UN investigative team (UNITAD) that will collect evidence of Daesh crimes in Iraq. UK aid has enabled the UN Trust Fund to support the Free Yezidi Foundation, a women’s and children’s centre that provides safety and support for women who have suffered at the hands of Daesh. Furthermore, the UK has contributed over £23 million to the UNDP Funding Facility for Stabilisation (FFS), to help the Iraqi Government stabilise areas of return and re-establish security, basic services and inclusive local governance. UNDP and partners of the FFS regularly consult religious and community leaders in areas in which it is operating, to understand return trends and develop strategies to address the barriers that impact on the decision of families to return and rebuild their communities. In addition to this, in January, DFID announced the allocation of a further £5 million to the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS). This funding is to support six explosive clearance teams across the country's Sinjar Province to clear explosives from critical areas such as schools, hospitals and roads, which will improve the conditions for communities to return home safely.

Common Agricultural Policy

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made any estimate of the number of people who have died in non-EEA countries since 1989 from malnutrition and related causes as a result of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy, in particular the dumping of excess food on the local markets of such countries; if so, how many people they estimate to have died as a result of that policy; and if not, whether they will do so.

lord bates: The UK Government is a leading global donor for nutrition and our position is set out in the UK’s Global Nutrition Position Paper (attached): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/652122/nutrition-paper-2017a.pdf. The UK Government has not estimated whether any deaths can be attributed to the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy.



UK's Global Nutrition Position Paper
(PDF Document, 1.18 MB)

Mozambique: Storms

baroness d'souza: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to resume channelling development and emergency aid through the government of Mozambique and its agencies in the light of Cyclone Idai.

lord bates: The UK has been monitoring the situation in Mozambique since last week. The situation is extremely concerning. Beira – a city of half a million people in central Mozambique has been cut off since the weekend with no water or electricity. Other areas are under water. The Government of Mozambique is leading the response. They are experts in disaster management but are overwhelmed. They are being supported by UN agencies, international and local NGOs. The UK has responded quickly. The Secretary of State has approved up to £22 million to support the people affected by the cyclone. We will not be channelling funds through the Government of Mozambique but will work through UN agencies and non-Government partners.

Department for Education

Schools: Finance

baroness finlay of llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans the Secretary of State for Education has to meet headteachers to discuss the WorthLess? campaign and those headteachers' concerns over cuts in educational funding and the impact of such cuts on schools’ ability to provide an appropriate educational experience for children of all abilities; if so, when; and if not, why not.

baroness finlay of llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many requests to meet representative headteachers from the WorthLess? campaign have been declined by the Secretary of State for Education; and when such requests were refused.

lord agnew of oulton: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education meets regularly with teachers, headteachers and representative groups to discuss education issues, including school funding. Regarding the specific group mentioned, I have met with them, as has my right hon. Friend, the Minister of state for School Standards. Senior officials continue to engage with this organisation through a working group.My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State has been invited to meet with representative headteachers from this group twice since January 2018. These meetings were taken by myself and senior officials as part of ongoing engagement with this organisation through a working group.

Children's Centres: Closures

lord hain: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children’s centres have closed in England since 2010.

lord hain: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Sure Start centres have closed in England since 2010.

lord agnew of oulton: Since 18 September 2017, data on Sure Start children’s centres has been supplied by local authorities via the department’s Get Information about Schools database portal at: https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/.Based on information supplied by local authorities as at 12 March 2019, 585 Sure Start children’s centres had closed since April 2010[1].However, councils are reconfiguring services to deliver them more efficiently. If a council decides to close a Sure Start children’s centre, statutory guidance is clear that they demonstrate that local children and families will not be adversely affected.This government introduced an entitlement to 15 hours a week free early education for the most disadvantaged 2-year-olds – a programme that was not available before 2010. More than 700,000 disadvantaged 2-year-olds have benefitted from free early education places since the introduction of the programme in 2013. There are now more than 22,700 providers delivering places for disadvantaged 2-year-olds.We are already starting to see progress. By 2018, 72% of eligible 2-year-olds were taking up the entitlement to free early education - up from 58% in 2015. The 2017/18 Early Years Foundation Stage Profile results show that the proportion of all children achieving a ‘good level of development’ is improving in 2018 - 71.5% of children achieving a good level of development up from 51.7% in 2013.   [1] Based on information supplied by local authorities as at 12 March 2019, 4:00 pm. These figures may be different to previous answers, and could change again in the future, since local authorities may update the database at any time.

Pupil Referral Units

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the vulnerability of pupils being admitted to Pupil Referral Units as a result of schools removing them before their GCSE results count towards league table ratings.

lord agnew of oulton: The law is clear that a pupil’s name can only be deleted from the admission register on the grounds prescribed in regulation 8 of the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 as amended.State-funded schools can exclude pupils, either permanently or for a fixed period, for disciplinary reasons, and the department supports schools in using exclusion where this is warranted. Exclusion on any grounds other than discipline is unlawful. Where a pupil is asked to leave the school, the formal exclusions process set out in the school exclusion guidance must be followed. Schools may not exclude pupils because of their academic attainment or ability. Local authorities are responsible for arranging suitable full-time education for permanently excluded pupils, and for other pupils who – because of illness or other reasons – would not receive suitable education without such provision. Pupil Referral Units (PRUs), like all schools and colleges, have a legal duty to safeguard children. Ofsted inspects PRUs under the same inspection framework as mainstream state-funded schools.

Free Schools: Admissions

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that free schools have the same proportion of disadvantaged pupils as their local catchment area.

lord agnew of oulton: Closing the attainment gap for disadvantaged pupils is a priority for the government. As of 1 March 2019, there are 443 open free schools. These will provide over 250,000 places when at capacity. Over 40% of free schools are open in the 30% most deprived areas in the country. The department expects that free school education plans and policies should be designed to improve outcomes and enhance the life chances of all children in the local community. We also expect trusts to market their school to attract pupils from a diverse range of backgrounds, including those who are disadvantaged. Free school admission policies must comply with the School Admissions Code to ensure that places are allocated in an open and fair way. This document is attached. The department is currently assessing wave 13 applications for mainstream free schools. Wave 13 targets the local authority districts identified by the department as having the lowest standards and capacity to improve. By putting good new schools in areas where they are most needed, the free schools programme will enhance the life chances of children in these communities. When assessing applications, the department will consider how the applicant group has targeted disadvantaged pupils and plans to attract applications from these groups. In January 2019, the department published our criteria for mainstream free school applications in wave 14. Wave 14 is similarly targeted at the areas of the country with the lowest educational standards, where opening a new free school can have the greatest impact on improving outcomes. This includes areas where disadvantaged pupils are being particularly poorly served by local schools.



School_admissions_code 
(PDF Document, 681.56 KB)

Social Mobility: Employment

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Social Mobility Pledge; and what steps they are taking to support its uptake by employers.

lord agnew of oulton: The Social Mobility Pledge (SMP) initiative represents an excellent opportunity for businesses to become SMP accredited employers, by committing to enhance support for people from disadvantaged backgrounds. We recognise the importance of the pledge. It fits with the aims of the government’s own strategies for social mobility. We are leading by example - the attached Civil Service Workforce Plan sets out how government provides exemplary leadership on social mobility as an employer and leads the way for other organisations. In addition, the department was ranked 18th out of 106 employers who submitted entries to the 2018 Social Mobility Employer Index. This index ranks Britain’s employers on the actions they are taking to improve access and progression. We offer similar initiatives to the SMP which supports employers to improve social mobility. For example, the Department for Education’s ‘Skills Partner’ initiative encourages employers to sign a statement of action with the government, demonstrating collective commitment to a strong skills programme that gives every individual the opportunity to succeed.



HL14513_Civil_Service_Workforce_Plan
(PDF Document, 510.01 KB)

Ministry of Justice

Prosecutions

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prosecutions there have been for (1) coercive and controlling behaviour,(2) stalking,(3) forced marriage, (4) female genital mutilation,and (5) revenge pornography since 2015.

lord keen of elie: The number of prosecutions in England and Wales for (1) ‘Engaging in coercive/ controlling behaviour in an intimate/ family relationship’, (2) stalking, (3) forced marriage, (4) female genital mutilation, and (5) ‘Disclose private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress’ (revenge pornography) since 2015 can be found in the attached table.Data for 2018 will be published in May 2019.Table: Number of prosecutions for offences in England and Wales, year ending December 2015 to year ending December 2017(1) 201520162017Engaging in coercive/ controlling behaviour in an intimate/ family relationship(2)-155468Stalking10848701206Forced marriage4119Female genital mutilation-1-Disclose private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress82267294PQ HL14396   Source: MoJ Court Proceedings databaseNotes:(1) The figures presented relate to defendants for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe(2) Engaging in coercive/ controlling behaviour in an intimate/ family relationship was made a specific offence in the Crime Act 2015. New offences take time to feed into the courts, explaining why prosecution data begins in 2016

Knives: Crime

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on knife-related offences of the reduction in funding for the work of youth offending teams from £145 million in 2010 to £71.5 million in 2019.

lord keen of elie: Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) play an important role in preventing offending and reoffending by children. The funding for YOTs provided through the Youth Justice Board’s annual grant has reduced by around a half since 2009/10 from £145m to £71.6m in 2018/19. Alongside this, the numbers of first time entrants (FTEs) into the youth justice system has decreased by 77% between 2009/10 and 2017/18 and 86% in the last decade, and while FTEs declined by 14% between 2016/17 and 2017/18 the YOT grant was maintained at the same level as the previous year. The YOT grant on average makes up just less than a third of the funding YOTs receive, with the majority coming from local authorities and partner agencies based on their local assessment of the needs of their area. Where a young person has been convicted of a knife crime YOTs will assess their needs and put in place a plan to prevent further offending. However, it is key for all agencies to work together to tackle knife crime. Last week the Chancellor announced that further funding of £100 million would be immediately available to police forces to address knife and violent crime in the worst affected areas in England and Wales. This new funding will enable police forces to have more officers available build capacity to prevent and respond to knife crime or patrol in communities. This is addition to the £200 million Youth Endowment Fund announced by the Home Secretary last October which will be delivered over the next 10 years, targeting those children most at risk of becoming involved in serious violence and focussing on early intervention and prevention.

Legal Aid Scheme: Refugees

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to reintroduce legal aid for refugee family reunion; and if not, why not.

lord keen of elie: We have committed to introduce legislation to bring non-asylum immigration matters into the scope of legal aid for separated migrant children.Legal aid for family reunion may be available under the Exceptional Case Funding (ECF) scheme, where there is a breach or risk of breach of ECHR rights, and subject to means and merits tests. We recently committed to work with legal practitioners to review and simplify the ECF application forms and guidance and ensure that funding is provided in as timely a manner as possible.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many couples (1) with, and (2) without, dependent children are receiving Universal Credit in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales, and (d) Northern Ireland.

baroness buscombe: The Department does not hold information on persons claiming Universal Credit in Northern Ireland. The available data is published at Stat Xplore.The table below shows the number of couples in England, Wales and Scotland, with and without child dependants who are receiving Universal Credit.  Couple, no child dependantCouple, with child dependant(s)England39,798105,955Wales2,5025,511Scotland4,6839,914Great Britain46,987121,385 Source: Households on Universal Credit Notes:Statistical disclosure control has been applied to this table to avoid the release of confidential data. Totals may not sum due to the disclosure control applied.A count date of the second Thursday of the month is used when calculating the statistics for the people on Universal Credit.Further information on the background and methodology can be accessed via our latest statistical release.These figures are provisional. These figures will be subject to revision in subsequent releases. It is expected that overall provisional figures will be within two per cent of their revised figure in future releases. Figures relating to the employment breakdown will be also be subject to revision.The DWP does not hold this information for Northern Ireland. The responsibility for statistics in Northern Ireland lies with the Department for Communities.

State Retirement Pensions: Females

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reinstate the deferred pensions of those women born in the 1950s who were meant to receive their pensions aged 60; and what assessment they have made of whether those women were given sufficient notice of the deferment.

baroness buscombe: Successive governments of different political persuasions have taken the same approach to increased life expectancy and equality between 1995–2019. The Government has no plans to revisit the policy on women’s State Pension age as brought forward by the 1995 pensions Act or the 2011 Pensions Act, and does not intend to make further concessions. The changes in the 2011 Act occurred following a public Call for Evidence and extensive debates in Parliament. A concession limiting the increase in State Pension age under the 2011 Act in any individual case to 18 months, relative to the 1995 Act timetable, has already been made during the passage Act (at the cost of £1.1 billion). In the years after the 1995 legislation (1995 to 2011) this equalisation was frequently reported in the media and debated at length in parliament. People were notified with leaflets, an extensive advertising campaign was carried out, and later individual letters were posted out. Evidence submitted to the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee ‘Communication of state pension age changes’ in 2016 noted that there were more than 600 mentions of State Pension age equalisation in the national broadsheet and tabloid press between 1993 and 2006, an average of just under one per week between 1993 and 2006. There were 54 mentions in the press in 1995, the year in which equalisation was legislated for. This was a significant event to change the age at which women received their State Pension that had existed since 1940. This was news worthy, particularly to those that it affected. Further media coverage occurred around the Pension Acts 2007, 2011 and 2014.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Eggs: Imports

baroness jones of whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to permit the sale of eggs and egg products from non-EU countries produced in barren battery cages; and if such sales are permitted, what assessment they have made of the impact on eggs produced in the UK to different welfare standards.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government is proud of this country’s high standards of food safety and animal welfare, including for farm animals.In the UK and EU, barren battery cages for commercial production of eggs have been banned since 2012.Once we have left the EU there will be an opportunity to consider further our position towards these imports.

Cats and Dogs: Meat

baroness masham of ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to prohibit the human consumption of dog and cat meat in the UK.

lord gardiner of kimble: As the Prime Minister previously said, it is illegal to sell dog and cat meat and there are no abattoirs with a licence to slaughter these animals in the UK. The Government recognises both the symbolic and substantive nature of the issues raised, and is exploring what else can be done to send a clear signal that consumption of cats and dogs will never be tolerated.

Air Pollution: Children and Young People

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration has been given to establishing a ring-fenced fund to protect children and young people from toxic air.

lord gardiner of kimble: All measures which reduce air pollution will reduce exposure of children to harmful pollutants. Our Clean Air Strategy is clear that children are impacted by air pollution more than the general population, and all the measures set out in the Strategy will reduce emissions of pollution, improving public health. The Government has put in place a £3.5 billion plan to improve air quality and reduce harmful emissions, which includes £495 million for councils to improve air quality. Councils with serious air quality problems may bid for a share of these funds. Local authorities are best placed to target action to improve local air quality. Defra’s Air Quality Grant Programme provides funding to local authorities for projects in local communities to tackle air pollution and reduce emissions which may include action targeting schools. Defra has awarded over £57 million in funding since the air quality grant started in 1997. A further £3 million has been allocated for 2018/19.

Home Office

Terrorism: Finance

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of recommendations in the Addendum to the 2015 Madrid Guiding Principle 10(29)(e) to "increase the use of financial intelligence and financial footprints as a tool to detect networks of terrorists, financiers and sympathizers".

baroness williams of trafford: Investigating authorities have access to a broad range of investigative tools and financial intelligence which can be easily shared between relevant agencies. Since 2015, investigators may also share and obtain information from other Law Enforcement Authorities (LEAs) and financial institutions through the Joint Money Laundering Intelligence Task Force, a public-private collaboration.The UK’s capacity for undertaking terrorist financing investigations was extended by the Criminal Finances Act 2017 which now permits the financial investigation powers in the Terrorism Act 2000 to be exercised by civilian accredited financial investigators employed by LEAs and allows for these orders to be recognised across different UK jurisdictions.The international Financial Action Task Force, in their December 2018 report on the UK’s measures to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, concluded that ‘the UK has been highly effective in investigating, prosecuting and convicting a range of terrorist financing activity’.

Money Laundering

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of recommendations in the Addendum to the 2015 Madrid Guiding Principle 10(29)(g) to "enhance the traceability and transparency of financial transactions, including by ensuring that financial institutions can share information, domestically and internationally within the same financial group, for the purposes of managing money-laundering and terrorism-financing risks and supplying the competent authorities with comprehensive information on criminal schemes; and identifying and registering unregulated money remitters, and assess and address the risks associated with the use of cash, unregulated remittance systems (including hawalas) and other financial products including prepaid cards".

baroness williams of trafford: The sharing of information on suspicions of money laundering and terrorist financing within a group is permitted under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.In the Criminal Finances Act 2017 the Government introduced provisions that will allow certain regulated sector entities to share information between themselves, and with the NCA, where there is a suspicion of money laundering and terrorist financing. Enabling firm-to-firm information sharing through a legal gateway encourages the reporting sector to share information to detect and prevent money laundering and terrorist financing.

Terrorism: Organised Crime

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of recommendations in the Addendum to the 2015 Madrid Guiding Principle 10(29)(j) to "support initiatives and domestic mechanisms to effectively identify and address the linkages between terrorism and transnational organized crime".

baroness williams of trafford: The UK supports UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2396 and the as-sociated Madrid Guiding Principles, and contributed to the drafting of both. We encourage Member States to fully implement UNSCR 2396. .  The government has undertaken a wide range of work to maximise the linkag-es between our work to counter both serious and organ-ised crime and terrorism. This is reflected in CONTEST, the United Kingdom’s strategy for counter-terrorism (June 2018: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/counter-terrorism-strategy-contest-2018) and the Serious and Organised Crime Strategy (November 2018, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/serious-and-organised-crime-strategy-2018).  Counter-terrorism policing, the National Crime Agency and the National Police Chiefs’ Council are implementing a counter-terrorism and serious and organ-ised crime collaboration strategy. Its immediate priorities include joint working across a broad range of areas from prisons, intelligence, firearms through to borders.



Counter Terrorism Strategy - 2018 
(PDF Document, 1.32 MB)




SOC 2018 
(PDF Document, 4.41 MB)

Oluwole Ilesanmi

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications for freedom of speech of the arrest of Christian street preacher Oluwole Ilesanmi.

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance they provide to the police in relation to preaching in public places.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government does not prevent individuals from following their religious beliefs or cultural traditions provided they do so within the law. The diversity of modern Britain is one of our strengths and many British people of different faiths follow religious codes and practices.The right to freedom of expression is a vital part of a democratic society. It is a long-standing tradition in this country that people are free to share their views with others.Decisions on arrests are an operational matter for the police working within the provisions of the legal framework set by Parliament.

Drugs: Organised Crime

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to update the guidanceCriminal exploitation of children and vulnerable adults: county lines for frontline staff working with victims of child trafficking who have been exploited in cannabis farms, or issue further guidance; and if so, when such update or guidance will be made available.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government published guidance on support to victims of county lines for frontline staff in July 2017, which was reviewed and updated in September 2018.  Work is underway to develop guidance on the issue of victims of child trafficking for the purposes of cannabis farming, and we will publish it as soon as possible.

Human Trafficking: Vietnam

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the publication ofPrecarious journeys: Mapping vulnerabilities of victims of trafficking from Vietnam to Europe by Anti-Slavery International, Every Child Protected Against Trafficking UK and Pacific Links Foundation on 7 March, what plans they have to introduce mandatory training for frontline professionals working with victims of child trafficking that include training on Vietnamese culture and specific control mechanisms such as debt bondage.

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 21 December 2018 (HL12283), what proportion of Independent Child Trafficking Advocates (1) have had training on Vietnamese culture, and (2) can speak Vietnamese.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office is leading a multi-agency review of First Responders to identify who should perform this role and how they should be trained. As part of this review, the Government will consider what mandatory training First Responders should undertake, including mandatory training on child-specific material. The results of this review will be published in Spring.In November 2017, the Department for Education published a Safeguarding Strategy (for unaccompanied asylum seeking and refugee children). The Strategy commissioned a further 1000 training places for carers and support workers to equip them with the skills they need to identify when a child is at risk of going missing and of potentially being trafficked onwards. The Refugee Council has been commissioned to deliver this training and will have delivered 1000 places by the end of March 2019.Independent Child Trafficking Advocates (ICTAs) receive training which includes awareness of the child’s culture, customs, language, etiquette and history as this enables the ICTA to engage more effectively with the child. The ICTA Service also employs two Vietnamese nationals who speak Vietnamese, to help with appropriate and accurate translation as well as supporting the ICTA with being culturally relevant when supporting children and young people.

Human Trafficking: Vietnam

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the publication ofPrecarious journeys: Mapping vulnerabilities of victims of trafficking from Vietnam to Europeby Anti-Slavery International, Every Child Protected Against Trafficking UK and Pacific Links Foundation on 7 March, whether they will recruit more Vietnamese translators to assist with the issues of child trafficking victims.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office recognises the ongoing high demand for Vietnamese interpreters across the department and has an ongoing recruitment campaign for all high demand languages, of which Vietnamese is a priority.We will continue to explore and act upon potential recruitment avenues both regionally and nationally. Alongside the ongoing recruitment campaign, we will continue to work with stakeholders in assessing demand and have in place contingencies to ensure the available national resource is utilised as effectively as possible.

Human Trafficking: Vietnam

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Vietnamese children have gone missing from care shortly after referral to the National Referral Mechanism since the introduction of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

baroness williams of trafford: Any child (including a trafficked child) who goes missing is a concern, particularly to those directly responsible for their care. The Government is fully committed to addressing this issue and the Home Office are actively working with partners to address the issue of all children who go missing from home and care through its updated Missing strategy, which will be published in the coming months.We do not collate data on children who go missing through the National Referral Mechanism, such data is held at a local level. The National Crime Agency (NCA) regularly publishes National Referral Mechanism (NRM) data. Data Latest statistics on NRM referrals and decisions are available at the following link:http://nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/national-referral-mechanism-statistics/2018-nrm-statisticsFurther information is also available in the 2018 UK Annual Report on Modern Slavery which was published on 18 October 2018.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2018-uk-annual-report-on-modern-slavery

Undocumented Migrants: India

lord green of deddington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has beentowards finalising a new Memorandum of Understanding with the government of India on the return of Indian nationals who are found to be illegally present in the UK.

baroness williams of trafford: We are in continued discussions with the Government of India.

Commonwealth: Immigration

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage immigration from Commonwealth countries after Brexit.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government published our plans for “The UK’s future skills-based immigration system” (Cm 9722) in a White Paper on the 19 December. The future system will encompass all nationalities and the emphasis will be on talents and skills, not where someone comes from.

Cabinet Office

Grenfell Tower Inquiry

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect Sir Martin Moore-Bick to publish his report on the first phase of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

lord young of cookham: The timetable for the independent public Inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire is a matter for the Inquiry Chair. The Inquiry’s most recent update, published on their website on 5 March, confirms that the Chairman is in the process of drafting the Phase 1 report and that he hopes to complete it in the spring.

Department for International Trade

Trade Agreements: Australia

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, during discussions with the government of Australia on a future bilateral trade agreement, the subject of the frozen state pensions of UK pensioners who have retired to Australia has been discussed.

baroness fairhead: Discussions with Australia on a future bilateral trade agreement have focussed on building a shared understanding of both countries’ ambitions for future trading arrangements. The subject of frozen state pensions has not formed part of our trade discussions with Australia. This policy area is primarily a matter for the Department for Work and Pensions.

Food: Import Duties

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to publish the tariffs they intend to impose on food imports after Brexit.

baroness fairhead: The Government published details of tariffs the UK intends to apply to food imports in the event of a ‘no-deal’ EU Exit on Wednesday 13 March. These details can be found at www.gov.uk/government/publications/temporary-rates-of-customs-duty-on-imports-after-eu-exit. If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the UK will implement this temporary tariff regime for up to 12 months whilst a full consultation and review on a permanent approach is undertaken. This regime will apply a tariff rate of zero to most imports into the UK whilst retaining the UK’s ability to raise these rates to a higher ‘bound’ rate if necessary. If the UK had chosen to apply its current external tariff regime to the EU this would impose new tariffs on EU imports, driving up prices for consumers and disrupting business supply chains. If the UK chose to apply zero tariffs on all goods traded with the EU, then the UK would have to extend this to the rest of the world due to WTO rules. This would minimise disruption to EU trade but would open the UK to competition from other countries outside of the EU, including those with unfair trading practices. The temporary tariff regime adopts a balanced position between these two options. It will minimise costs to UK businesses whilst mitigating the impact of price increases on UK consumers. This temporary tariff regime will come into effect at the timethe UK leaves the EU without a deal. In the event of a deal being secured the UK will continue to apply the EU’s Common External Tariff during any implementation period. No decision on post-implementation period tariff rates has been made at this time.

Import Duties

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to submit a revised schedule of tariffs the UK will apply post-Brexit to the World Trade Organization.

baroness fairhead: The Government has already lodged at the WTO the UK goods schedule on 24 July 2018. This contains the UK’s bound tariff rates which the UK cannot exceed.

Exports

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that the recent growth slowdown in key export markets could have on UK trade after Brexit.

baroness fairhead: UK exports are growing, rising 2.7% (£17.0bn) to £636.6bn in the 12 months ending January 2019. In August 2018 we published the government’s Export Strategy, setting out how we will encourage, inform, connect and finance UK businesses of all sizes to enable them to succeed internationally in an increasing competitive environment.The UK’s official government forecasts are published in the latest OBR projections. These show UK total export market growth of 3.3% and 3.5% in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Real export growth (excluding the effects of price inflation) is forecast at 1.4% and 1.7% in 2019 and 2020 respectively, and lower in the longer term.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Sports: Females

baroness brady: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of girls aged between 14 and 18 years old who stop participating in sports in and outside school; and what steps they intend to take to actively encourage such girls' participation in sports.

lord ashton of hyde: The first set of data from Sport England’s world-leading Active Lives: Children and Young People survey was released in December 2018. It shows that only 10% of girls in years 9-11 (13-16) are reaching the Chief Medical Officers’ guidance of 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Levels of activity for girls aged over 16 are captured by the Active Lives (adult) survey, which has a slightly different methodology and so cannot be directly compared. Both surveys are available on Sport England’s website. Government is committed to addressing the gender gap in physical activity levels for boys and girls, including the drop-off in engagement from primary to secondary school. It is important that girls have access to the right sporting opportunities, both in and out of school.This is something government committed to tackle in the Sporting Future strategy. This will also be addressed as part of the new School Sport and Activity Action Plan which will be published in the spring.

Charities: Regulation

lord hodgson of astley abbotts: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to introduce the pending Law Commission Bill on charity regulation.

lord ashton of hyde: The Law Commission’s report, Technical Issues in Charity Law makes a number of recommendations for simplifying charity law. The department is giving the report’s recommendations full consideration and will respond in due course.

Football: Sportsgrounds

lord pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in the review of safe standing in football stadiums.

lord ashton of hyde: We believe that all-seater stadia are currently the best means to ensure the safety and security of fans at designated football matches in England and Wales. An independent review of the available evidence around the all-seater policy has been undertaken and we expect to receive the final report on the findings of the review shortly.

Gambling: Suicide

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment ofGambling disorder, increased mortality, suicidality, and associated comorbidity: A longitudinal nationwide register study, published in November 2018; and in particular its finding that problem gamblers are 15 times more likely to take their own lives.

lord ashton of hyde: Preventing suicide is a priority for Government, and we take new evidence on this matter very seriously. The longitudinal study on gambling disorder in Sweden indicated increased mortality, suicidality, and associated comorbidity rates of other disorders, among those with a clinical diagnosis of gambling disorder. However, the report also indicated that the factors contributing to suicide are multifactorial, which make it difficult to isolate the role gambling played when weighted against other co-morbid factors. In particular, it noted that depression was a significant predictor of suicide death. The report Gambling Behaviour in Great Britain 2016, which is based on the Health Surveys, shows a clear correlation between poor mental health and problem gambling. GambleAware has commissioned research to further our understanding of the links between problem gambling and suicide risk. This will include secondary analysis of the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey to explore the relationship between problem gambling and the experience of suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts and non-suicidal self-harm among adults living in England. The government's Suicide Prevention Strategy, published in January this year, committed to improving research on factors related to suicide, such as debt and gambling addiction.